Five Effective Ways to Prevent Work Burnout
It is 2023 and what we have seen over the last few years across the channel role is a change of pace, requirements and the role extending out beyond a fixed deliverable, we have seen the movement of people from the role due to the demands, so lets explore the workplace burnout syndrome.
Many people experience burnout from time to time, especially workplace burnout. It is a global phenomenon that affects people’s productivity at work. The World Health Organization defines burnout as ‘a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.’
Burnout has various causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies unique to each individual, and it is most commonly known to lead to physical, mental, or emotional stress. This article will provide information to help you learn, understand, and determine how to deal with this syndrome.
Causes of Workplace Burnout
Undue Job Pressure or Work Overload
It’s admirable to have career goals. However, there is something called overload. Professionals may sometimes find themselves taking on too much work, leading to work overload and immense pressure. This may lead to fatigue and burnout.
Lack of Work-Life Balance
While it is great to have a job that you love and are dedicated to, it is also important to have a life outside of that job. It is critical to have enough time to rest, socialize, and practice self-care to function well. Without proper work-life balance and time for other life activities, you will likely experience burnout.
Lack of Support
It is essential to have family and friends that support you in your career and personal life goals. This can encourage you to keep going and pursue your dreams. People mostly overlook workplace support. If you feel isolated at work and don’t receive any support from coworkers, you may feel less accomplished and experience job burnout.
Symptoms of Workplace Burnout
- General fatigue or constant exhaustion
- Anxiety
- Cynicism
- Lack of creativity or productivity
- Lack of sleep
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Irritation, crankiness, and impatience
- Physical symptoms like headaches or stomach pain
- Lack of motivation or purpose
How to Prevent Workplace Burnout
Take a Break From Work
One of the first steps to take when you notice some symptoms of workplace burnout is to get a break from your job. You will need to get at least a week or two off work to focus on other activities, calm your mind, and release your stressors. During this time off, you can go on a vacation, spend time with loved ones, or just relax and engage in fun activities.
Exercise
Exercising is a great way to free your mind from all forms of stress. You should find time to exercise more while on a break and even when you return to work. Dedicating time to exercise daily will help calm your nerves and make you think more clearly.
You can practice yoga, meditation, tai chi, or other calming exercise routines. You can also hit the gym if you want something more engaging. This will help you deal with stress and give you time each day to take your mind off work and focus on other things.
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is a more common term in recent years, but its importance can still be overlooked. When you prioritize yourself, you focus on strengthening your physical, mental, and emotional health. You engage in activities that are good for you and make you feel better. To achieve this, you should figure out things that make you relaxed and happy. This could be through eating healthy, exercising, getting quality sleep, or better hygiene.
Reevaluate Your Career Goals
You may be experiencing job burnout by having unrealistic career goals. These can put you under extreme pressure and constant work overload. For example, a junior software engineer whose career goal is to become a CEO within three years. While this may be achievable, it is mostly unrealistic.
To prevent this, you should analyze your career goals and strategize to have more realistic goals. This will help relieve you from constant pressure. If you are frustrated by your current career, you could also take steps to switch into a new field. There are various resources, including coding bootcamps like App Academy that can help you transfer into a tech career in just a few months.
Seek Emotional Support
If you tend to isolate, seek emotional support from your family, friends, coworkers, or professionals. Having someone you talk to about your feelings helps to relieve stress. The person you choose to speak with should be willing to understand you and support your emotional needs.
Conclusion
Workplace burnout is frequently ignored today because many are either unaware of it or dismiss it. After all, it’s not a recognized medical condition. However, it is a serious syndrome that could be caused by other underlying conditions.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of burnout seem to be on the rise. Statista reports higher levels of burnout among every generation between the years 2020 and 2021. This is why anyone experiencing any symptoms should take the steps they need to improve their mental health.